How do you store your saws

I am going to put one of my saws away for the season. The other ones will be soon to follow. In the past I've always just emptied the fuel and ran it till carb was empty.

Thinking about trying stihl's motomix this year. Has anyone else tried this. Any suggestions input concerns

 

Seems to me that now is the time people would be bringing them out to use..

 

Nope not me I cut when it's cold. It's easier to work and stay warm than work and be hot. Plus I have other stuff to do in warmer months. Fall and winter is my time for cutting

I might do a little cutting after I get some other stuff finished up. That's why I was thinking motomix just in case

 

Motomix is all I use its great for storing saws I love the stuff I fill my saw and run it for 5-10min and its all good it won't hurt fuel lines it will last 2yrs once the can open around ia its 8.00$a can but well worth it . Imo like said its all I use my saws run awsome on that stuff.it don't separate like regular gas.

 

I've had probs with a couple saw carbs when I put the saw away after running it dry. Seems the diaphragms took a day or two to adapt to being wet with fuel, on taking them out of storage.
IMO it's a real good idea to periodically flush out a saw's fuel tank, since some woody debris will get in there. My current strategy is to dump the fuel tank into a small bucket so I can decant the clean fuel back into the mix jug. Then I pour in a few ounces of canned 40:1 premix (not infatuated with Stihl, though), and either pump some of that into the diaphragm chamber if the saw has a purge pump, or crank up the saw and run it at fast idle for a minute or so.
I've had fuel filters separate from lines, in the tank, on a couple of saws, and just don't like to have poo sucked into a carb.
Works so far. The saws are slowly emerging from hibernation now, as the snows melt & drain off. Doing the above, they awaken ready to work.
I wouldn't count on being able to let any of the saws sit on the shelf for more than a few months after doing that, though, and that canned mix is crazy expensive for their daily feed.

 

I always run my saws dry - even if I know I won't be using them for a few days, but definitely if they are going to be put away for long. I let them idle until the saw quits, then I run on choke until I can't get the saw to start at all. I've had no issues whatsoever in 7 years of doing this, and running ethanol gas. Saws always start. I have considered starting to fog the cylinder, or add a little mix to the cylinder when putting them away for months, but haven't done so yet. Cheers!

 

I tend to cut more in the fall and winter as well. I guess it's because typically our winters rarely get below freezing in the daytime, but summers are 90°+ and sticky!

I'll drain the gas on my Makita when I put it away. But on my Husky I'll leave it full and add some Stabil to the gas since I tend to use it here and there around the house during the summer.

 

The canned premix is always about $6 a can here. I've been using it to store my new makita weed whacker I got late last summer, and I'll probably use it on my saw too. I like that it lists a couple years no issues, but until using this premixed fuel, I simply have run all my toys until the run out of gas in the carb.

I've never had an issue, even using e10 for over 20 years. I find the best thing is to run the tank as empty as possible, then when put to use for seasonal things that are not easily fuel dumped out like a boat boat, sled etc, I just fill the tank with fresh fuel and take it easy the first tank.

 

My saws tend to be idle from late December through late February and generally in the heat of the summer months. The rest of the year, I run them on VP Racing SEF 94. All the time. I don't mess around with stabilizer, ethanol vs. non-ethanol fuels, various two-stroke oils, etc. It's not worth my time to even think about it. Once a year, I go to my dealer and buy a five gallon can of the stuff, and it lasts me for a year. Last year it was around $92 for a can. Is that expensive for fuel? Sure it is. How much is a carburetor and the service required to change it out? How about the cost of new fuel lines and filters? What's peace of mind worth to me? For the past three years, all it has cost me to heat my house for the winter is that can of gas mix, a couple gallons of bar oil, and my time. Worth every penny.

So to get to the OP's question: put a little bit of the pre-mix (I'm assuming the Motomix is Stihl's version?) in your saw, run it for a few minutes, shut it down and put it away. Make sure the system's still "wet". In the fall you will be able to fire that critter right up without worrying about what ate your fuel system during the summer.

 

I now run VP SEF exclusively ............... very well said, I agree 100% !!

 

My saws stay full of mix year around. Some get run a lot, others very little. They sit all summer.

 

You guys would cringe if saw how some guys around here store the saws ,they just leave them in the back of the pickup year round to get sunbleached and rained on ,very sad to see tools taken care of that way .

 

I use non E fuel and synthetic oil. I dont dump the tanks or run dry. I just leave the fuel in them. Not had a problem for years (like 10) till now. Have a stihl 011 that came to me needing a carb rebuild. Now it needs another I think. Is it from my storage method?? Maybe or maybe cause I used a cheap kit??? All other saws are still fine with no issues.

 

I always leave the non E stabilized fuel in it...but dump/replace with fresh fuel in before cutting again.

 

I was hoping you'd come over and cut with me this July or August...
Nuthin like cutting wood @ 104 degrees!!!!
Makes ya feel alive!!!

 

Most of my cutting is in the summer. Days are longer and easier to get out. Ground is not as soft and muddy as well.

 

I'll cut in the AM or PM, only when it's cooler in summer. When it's 104° out I don't wear jeans or PPE. You'll usually find me in the lake or rivers at anything over 75°.

 

I only use non ethanol in all small engine tend to cut a lot before mud season cool mornings in summer before wind picks up and css September thru snow so thanksgiving and add stabilizer til about now. seems to work I don't cut in deep snow actually tomorrow I start clean up on hedge row winter storm damage but still to much snow and ice in woods

 

I just leave my saws and other small equipment full of Sta-bil treated non ethanol gas. I haven't had any problems. I used to religiously drain everything dry, but my mechanic buddy, who is a maintenance nut, advised me to do this. YMMV!

Will

 

Yeah buddy, just let me know.